A French Classic

The stress of all these city breaks I keep subjecting myself to is now again wreaking havoc on my skin. But having been in Paris recently, I rekindled my love affair with Darphin.

There is something so beautifully chic about this golden oldie.

The Aromatic Purifying Balm is fantastic at restoring a frazzled complexion overnight. It smells devine and I am a total sucker for anything that is a)rich b) smells amazing and c) works. This one ticks all three boxes.
The anti-fatigue eye gel is a real saviour for flights/trains/automobiles. Any any mornings-after-the-night-before.

Darphin has such a rich history (invented the first serum 53 years ago!) that you can't help but trust their expertise.

Liner Super Star

Having reported on how much I loved the Sisley Khol Star pencils at the airport Duty Free a couple of weeks ago, you can imagine my excitement when the said pencils landed in the Beauty Mole studios this week.

For anyone who is a fan of a lined eye, I would solidly recommend these pencils. They are worth the splashout. They are soft and blendible and contain a hint of sparkle (just enough for day time) to jazz up the eye. Plus, they come with a little Swarovski cyrstal on the tip and their very own little velvet pouch. Imagine that touch up on a night out.

I am now sparkly eyed and bushy tailed. Picture here are my favourites Black Diamond and Sparkling Bronze.

Sisley Phyto Khol Star Eye Pencil, £29.50

Best Facials in London

I was recently asked about my favourite salons in London for a facial, so I thought I would share:

Gielly Green in Marylebone – this is such a beautiful little salon, they do everything! Big fat recommend.
http://shop.giellygreen.com/

White Room in Knightsbridge – a little on the pricey side, but if you want a real treat, the therapist there does celebrity facials.
http://www.whiteroom.com/

Glow Urban Spa in Knightsbridge – this is also a lovely salon, cheaper than White Room, and they do Dermalogica facials here. Reasonable prices as well.
http://glowurbanspa.co.uk/

Aveda in Holborn – the Aveda institute is great. Good prices. Aveda products are amazing and central.
http://www.aveda.co.uk/findalocation/covent_garden.tmpl
  
Time to pamper yourselves ladies.

Fresh. Fresh, Exciting...

Like a true little kitsch enthusiast that I am, I absolutely love soap. Proper soap. But it seems really hard to find a good one! They either go gooey and mushy in the soap dish, don’t smell nice or break in to a million pieces after a few washes. Or all three.
However, how can you go wrong with Crabtree and Evelyn? I end up always going back to them. The smell, the consistency and texture of their soap is second to none. Although, Ren come a close second. My current C&E favourite is the Citron, Honey and Coriander Body Bar. It looks as fresh as it smells. It actually puts a smile on my face. And a snip at £5.
Crabtree and Evelyn, Citron, Honey and Coriander Body Bar, £5

Well Slick

Hands up if you have already heard of Moroccanoil? If you haven't, what planet have you been living on.

I do have a confession though, up until now, I have never tried Moroccanoil products before. But they are the ones that started that Argan Oil in haircare revolution.
And they are little miracle workers. The Original Moroccanpoil Oil Treatment is the bad boy that you need to fix a multitude of hair sins.
But the one that I really loved is the Moroccanoil Hydrating Mask Treatment. It has thick, lovely consistensy and left my hair feeling light as air.
With a little of the styling cream, your hair will obey your every styling wish - the three perfect partners in crime.
However, as my hair is fine, next time I will go for the light version of the cul Oil, but if you have thick tresses, massage away.
Find it in the best salons across the country.

Golden Treasure

In the last couple of weeks, I have noticed my skin becoming a bit drier. I usually do a few hydrating masks, switch to a slightly richer cream and layer on the serum, but it hasn't helped.

It was time to bring out the big boys. I needed an oil. Oil is a fantastic hydrator for skin and actually can even help to balance out an already oily complexion. Dr Hauschka's Normalising Day Oil is great for that.

In this case though, I needed something super nourishing and rich. I turned to Nuxe.

This is a brand that I have often smelt and sampled in a store, but never really tried. Huile Prodigieuse is one of Nuxe's bestsellers. It can be used on body, face and hair (multi-tasking you say?!) and the beauty of it is that it sinks in to your skin immediately. And it smells heavenly. It reminds me of Russian springtime.

The potent mix of 6 Precious Plant Oils (Borage, St Johnswort, Sweet Almond, Camellia, Hazelnut, Macadamia) within the formula is what makes it so special. Plus, at 100ml, you can take it on a flight for up-to-the-minute hydration. Plus, most unusually but most welcome, the oil has a spray nozzle, so you'll never waste any.

A big non-greasy thumbs up from me.

Berry Polished

With the onset of summer now, I am really getting more and more into painting my nails. And I have really come to love the Leighton Denny polishes. When I went to Barcelona, they stayed put despite me going in the sea, the pool, showering three times a day and being out in the sunshine.
My new crush is Berry Nice. A sweet shade of strawberry/raspberry pink. It could almost count towards my five a day.
Leighton Denny Nail Colours, £11 each

Duty Free Style-ee

Whenever I am at the airport, of course, like any girl probably, I savour my time in Duty Free. I always look forward to flying from Heathrow, though, because they have Cocoon - which is a beauty mecca of some of my favourite brands.

Today, I made a beeline to Sisley, as I always think of them for summer makeup. I fell in love withe their Phyto-Khol Star sparkly eye crayons in Purple, Blue and Green that I know would create the most amazing sultry eye post-beach bar-hopping.
I also loved their Rouge à Lèvres Lipsticks in L15 (shimmery pink, 80s frost) and L9 (creamy creamy candy pink).
With the crayons and lipsticks, and perfect skin after a holiday, this is summer in the bag. And I wouldn't even have to get any liquids past security.

Wedding Princess

I totally forgot to mention that I went to the most beautiful wedding recently.
Two friends. One gorgeous venue. One beautiful bride. It made me dream about my own wedding one day. My boyfriend made them a card himself (above is one of his early sketches) and apart from the obvious (dress, makeup, shoes...) scent is underrated at weddings. What better way to remember your big day than with a perfume that will forever bring back sweet memories.
Vera Wang's Preppy Princess is a perfect example of a delicate, summery scent that is ideal for weddings. Aaaahhh

Vera Wang's Preppy Princess from The Perfume Shop, from £33.50